Man arrested in McMinn County for $12,000 phone scam
MCMINN COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — A man was arrested in McMinn County for trying to trick a couple into giving him $12,000.
On September 9, 2025, at 1:45 p.m., McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy received a call from a Zion Hill resident asking for help with his distraught wife.
The resident’s wife was on the phone with someone claiming to be a federal agent, who told her she was tied to something illegal and needed to deposit $12,000 into an ATM.
Sheriff Guy warned the resident this could be a scam.
Upon arrival, he asked the wife to put the call on speaker so he could listen.
He alerted a detective and accompanied the couple to their bank, where the caller instructed the wife to withdraw the money.
Several hours later, detectives noticed a suspicious vehicle.
The caller then asked the wife to meet at the gate of Zion Cove.
Authorities apprehended the suspect, Ziyi Lu, outside the gate.
Lu was found with evidence linking him to other scams in the region and may have ties to a Chinese organized crime organization.
He is in custody at McMinn County Jail under a $120,000 bond and faces charges of:
- Criminal Conspiracy of Theft
- Financial Exploitation of an Elderly or Vulnerable Person
